FEATURED ARTICLES ABOUT TERRY FRANCONA - PAGE 4

(The Sports Xchange) - After one year off the bench and in the broadcast studio, Terry Francona has a new managerial job. He is the new skipper of the Cleveland Indians. The team issued a press release, announcing that Francona would be formally introduced in a Monday press conference at Progressive Field. Francona led the Boston Red Sox to World Series titles in 2004 and 2007. He was let go last year after a September collapse in which the Red Sox went 7-20 down the stretch to miss out on a playoff spot.

The Sports Xchange Indians' Swisher out with sore shoulder Cleveland Indians first baseman Nick Swisher has a nagging left shoulder injury that will keep him out of action until at least Friday, manager Terry Francona said. "We'll go all on him, on his symptoms," Francona said, according to MLB.com. "It's all dependent on how he feels. If he feels better and the medical staff OKs him, we'll play him before that. " There's a possibility Swisher could end up on the disabled list, Francona acknowledged.

The Sports Xchange Swisher agrees to $56 million deal with Indians Outfielder Nick Swisher agreed to a four-year, $56 million contract with the Cleveland Indians, the New York Daily News reported Sunday. The contract also includes a vested fifth year that brings the deal to $70 million. Swisher, 32, will likely start in right field with Shin-Soo Choo being traded to the Cincinnati Reds earlier this month. Swisher batted .272 with 24 home runs and 93 RBI in 148 games with the New York Yankees, where he spent the previous four seasons.

Former Boston manager Terry Francona won't be part of any festivities celebrating the 100th anniversary of Fenway Park next week. Now a baseball analyst for ESPN, Francona is still upset at how he was portrayed after leaving the team last season. He told the Boston Globe that “somebody went out of their way to make me look pretty bad.” A Globe report, citing unnamed team sources, reported that Francona's managerial abilities in 2011 may have been compromised by marital strife and use of pain medication.

Oct 6 (Reuters) - Terry Francona has been appointed as the new manager of the Cleveland Indians, it was announced on Saturday. Major League Baseball's official website (mlb.com) said the club had confirmed the appointment but would not make any further comment until Francona was formally introduced on Monday. Francona will take over from Sandy Alomar Jr, who had been acting as interim manager after Manny Acta was sacked last week when the Indians failed to make the playoffs. Alomar was offered a job as an assistant to Francona, according to the report, after he applied unsuccessfully for the manager's position.

MILWAUKEE - Although he is being pursued by both the Chicago Cubs and Boston Red Sox, it appears that Dale Sveum will remain the Milwaukee Brewers' hitting coach at least until next week. Sveum is meeting face-to-face for a second time at the general manager/owners meetings this week in Milwaukee, but neither team appears in a hurry to name a new manager. In fact, new Red Sox GM Ben Cherington plans to be in the Dominican Republic this weekend and owner John Henry has indicated a final decision won't be made until at least next week.

The Cubs have picked up some insurance for first baseman Leon Durham, who has spent time on the disabled list in each of the last three seasons. They signed Terry Francona to a minor-league contract Sunday and assigned him to Iowa of the American Association. Francona had been released Tuesday by the Montreal Expos. "This gives us some protection at first base," said Cubs` general manager Dallas Green. Francona wasn`t signed to a major-league contract because "we don`t have room on the roster, and we still have some questions about his knees," Green said.

Police are investigating a possible drug-related incident involving Indians closer Chris Perez in suburban Cleveland, according to reports Wednesday. Rocky River (Ohio) police, U.S. postal inspectors and the West Shore Enforcement Bureau searched Perez's rented home after a package was delivered there on Tuesday. Authorities said they found a controlled substance but would not identify the contents of the parcel. After lab tests are done, possible charges could follow. Perez and his wife were not arrested in contrast to previous news reports that he had been taken into custody.